Find out how popular the last name Vemula is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Vemula.

Vemula, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Vemula surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vemula in America

Vemula is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vemula surname appeared 330 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Vemula.

The history of the last name Vemula

The surname Vemula is of Indian origin, specifically from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. It is believed to have originated in the 15th century or earlier, during the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire in the region.

The name Vemula is thought to be derived from the Telugu word "vemu," which means a margosa or neem tree. It is likely that the ancestors of those bearing this surname lived near or were associated with areas where these trees grew abundantly.

Some records suggest that the Vemula name may have been initially used as a title or honorific by certain communities or castes in the region, reflecting their association with specific occupations or professions.

One of the earliest documented references to the Vemula surname can be found in the Mackenzie Manuscripts, a collection of historical records and documents compiled by Colonel Colin Mackenzie in the early 19th century. These manuscripts contain information about various families and communities in the region, including those with the Vemula surname.

Historically, the Vemula name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Vemula Rudrama Devi, a 13th-century ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty in the Deccan region. She was known for her military prowess and administrative skills.

Another prominent individual with the Vemula surname was Vemula Yechuri Narayana Rao, a 20th-century Telugu writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the literary and cultural landscape of Andhra Pradesh. He was born in 1898 and passed away in 1970.

In the field of politics, Vemula Gopala Krishnaiah, a leader of the Communist Party of India, gained prominence in the mid-20th century for his role in the Telangana armed struggle against the Nizam's rule.

More recently, the name Vemula gained widespread attention in India following the tragic case of Rohith Vemula, a student activist at the University of Hyderabad whose untimely death in 2016 sparked nationwide protests and debates about caste discrimination and social justice.

It is worth noting that while the Vemula surname is predominantly found in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, individuals bearing this name can also be found in other parts of India and abroad due to migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vemula

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Vemula.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Vemula was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Vemula was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Vemula, please contact us.

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